What happened to Asperger’s syndrome?

March 8, 2018 5.08pm EST

In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association stopped using the clinical term Asperger’s syndrome, grouping the condition with other forms of autism under the term ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder.’
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What happened to Asperger’s syndrome?

Author

Associate Professor of Educational Studies in School Psychology, University of Calgary

Disclosure statement

Adam McCrimmon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

I often get asked “Does my child have Asperger’s?” in my clinical work. Or, “Do I have Asperger’s?”

These are challenging questions to answer. They have stimulated much debate among clinicians, researchers, and those who have identify with the term over the past several years.

Asperger’s Disorder (more commonly referred to as Asperger’s syndrome) is linked to the work of Hans Asperger, an Austrian physician who published his initial work in German in 1944.

He described children who presented with strong vocabulary and language skills in conjunction with a range of symptoms: Odd social use of language and tone of voice, social isolation from peers, repetitive behaviours, strong interests in unusual topics, and a desire to maintain structure and routine in their lives.

Although this description is similar to that of autism, Asperger’s account differed in that speech was less commonly delayed, motor clumsiness was more common, onset of symptoms occurred later, and his initial cases were all male.

A ‘pervasive developmental disorder’

Subsequently, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) included it in the newly defined category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDDs) alongside Autistic Disorder and other similar diagnostic terms in 2000, which brought more widespread clinical attention and an appreciation that not only males can be affected.

Increasingly movies, such as ‘Mozart and The Whale,’ depict characters with Asperger’s syndrome.

Replaced by ‘Autism Spectrum Disorder’

As a result of this inconsistent application and similarities among the PDDs, the APA removed the clinical term from use and replaced it with a broad Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) term — encompassing several previous distinct disorders — when they published their most recent diagnostic manual in 2013.

However, the WHO continues to use the term, at least until they release the ICD 11th edition in 2019, which is reported to also use ASD in place of previous diagnostic terms.

It is this recent transition in clinical terminology that has stimulated substantial debate.

Should Asperger’s syndrome have been removed from use and replaced by the broad ASD term?

However, the APA states that individuals who had a diagnosis under the previous framework should not lose their diagnosis. And research has supported the grouping of previous clinical labels under the broader ASD term.

An interesting social phenomenon also began to occur in the early 2010s, in which those with Asperger’s began to personally identify with their clinical label — referring to themselves as “Aspies” or other similar terms that represent their unique attributes and characteristics.

In ‘The Accountant,’ Christian Wolff (Ben Affleck) is a math savant who works as a freelance accountant for some of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations.

In the end, it appears as though Asperger’s has faded from clinical use, while remaining a popular term to describe a certain type of individual.

Given that the term was initially introduced in an effort to determine if it truly differs from other clinical descriptions, it is interesting to observe and reflect upon society’s adoption and integration of it.

Asperger’s unique characteristics

Many clinicians will even admit (if only privately) that they understand the unique characteristics demonstrated by someone with Asperger’s.

As for how I respond to parents, I try to describe the current clinical framework and how it has evolved over time.

I tell them that I appreciate the unique attributes commonly associated with the Asperger’s term and I suggest that if their child’s behaviour seems to align with that description, then they or their child may feel more comfortable thinking about things in that way.

I also work with families to understand how people can often personally identify with clinical terms (for example “an autistic person” as opposed to “a person with autism”) as there is concerted effort from the ASD community to use such person-first language.

In the end, the term that clinicians, families or individuals use is a matter of personal preference. One thing is certain though, Asperger’s is here to stay, even if the diagnosis isn’t.